Verde Cocina

I ate at Verde Cocina twice last week … my first visit was so amazing I went back a few days later. For dinner I had the special quesadilla with brisket. Their homemade tortillas are fantastic, and the dish was full of amazing, delicious vegetables in addition to the simmered beef brisket, cheeses, and sauce. Then I tried their Happy Hour, and the Small Plates were wonderful (I had street tacos and a chicken enchildada. the taco was my favorite). We were at the Canyon Ct location, but it isn’t listed here on Unilocal.I’ll try the SW Capitol Hwy location too since it’s close to where I live. This is Mexican food at its authentic best … because the vegetables are fantastic!

Terrible service. Decided to have a late lunch around 2:00 p.m. restaurant wasn’t busy. After being seated our server never came to take our order for over 15 minutes. We got up and left. Also, there weren’t the correct amount of place settings and water glasses. This is very unfortunate because the menu did look good.

This is one of our go-​to restaurants. There are three locations and food and service are equally good at Capitol and Canyon locations (we haven’t been to the 14^th location) but we prefer the energy of Capitol.
The food is fresh — truly fresh — so when you order cheese quesadillas with veggies, the veggies may be different each time. The tortillas are made in house and the eggs are truly from a local farm and you can taste the difference.
I had the quesadillas which were offered with a choice of two cheeses. My waiter suggested both cheeses plus a third (no extra charge) and they were fabulous. Serving was so large I could only eat half. Hubby had a daily special of slow-​roasted lamb hash. I was leery as lamb can be dry but this was succulent and flavorful, exceeding his expectations. (And he had no left overs!)
Not only is the food local, fresh, and amazingly prepared, there is a full bar. If you like coffee drinks, I highly recommend Café Amor, just be prepared to wait a couple extra minutes for the hand-​shaken cream that tops it.
Bonus: very easy to eat gluten-​free here, including the Ground Breaker beer.
I note that at least one reviewer considered the food expensive. This is not bargain dining. However, we find prices to be quite reasonable for the quality of food and service.

So this place is more vegetarian than Mexican. Got the guacamole, which had no flavor or spice what’s so ever, it also came with a verde salsa and red which had no spice at all and was very bland. We order chicken enchilada for our main dish, what we got was very bland chicken rolled in a tortilla over veggies. Both me and my wife love Mexican but only ate half our food and did not take the left overs home.

Wonderful place, food was amazing and so was the service.
I had the special quesadilla which was brisket. It. Was amazing. The brisket was so tender, they slow cooked it not smoked it.
Enchiladas where amazing too the red sauce had a slight kick of spice while the flavor was amazing…
We got seated right away and the server was amazing. Made sure my drinks was full at all times.

I hate giving lower than 4 stars because this place has a great atmosphere and potential… But the food wasn’t my favorite. It seemed like every dish was kinda the same… A heap of veggies and some sort of toppling (theoretically the main dish). I will say the guacamole was outstanding and the corn tortillas were a nice change from chips… If you are in the mood for Mexican then just be aware this isn’t your typical fare… If you are in the mood for a heap of veggies then you will be happy!

Love both locations and I could simply eat their perfect fresh tortillas every day! Grilled vegetables, outstanding. Breakfast bacon ridiculously good, Seafood Medley memorable. Everytime someone visits here in PDX I make sure to take them here! Bartenders Don and Cooper at the Hillsdale spot are the real deal!

It is not often I give out five stars, but this place earned it. We wanted to find a nice place for an after church brunch. We were seated quickly and met the waiter quickly too. I ordered the steak and eggs. The steak and the eggs were done perfectly. The whole meal and the coffee were thoroughly enjoyed. We will be back to try dinner in the future. Good job team.

When i went here, I ordered the gringas con mole. Although, i learned i did not like mole sauce, the rest of the meal was great. Everything here is extremely fresh and the service was wonderful and kind. If possible, be sure to make reservations becase i hear it is normally pretty full.

Aweful, tasteless food. The guacamole was only avocado and tomato, no cilantro, no onion, no flavor. The mole tasted like tomato sauce with a hint of cinnamon, and the soup tasted like a can. The tortillas were just as uninspired. I get there is little competition, but this was just aweful. Avoid this place. There aren’t any other close Mexican restaurants, so just choose a different cuisine.

One of our absolute most favorite places to eat in PDX! Every dish I’ve had (over maybe 15 visits to date) has been excellent. The best is their chorizo! They get «fresh» packed into everything they make and I love that they make their tortillas fresh throughout the day. I just wish their outside patio tables could be open year-​round.
Anyone looking for a place that gets gluten-​free RIGHT should come here!

From my perspective, the ratings and reviews on Unilocal tend to be on the high side of things. I usually tend to be on the lower end, probably because I’m picky. Began with the La Paloma — grapefruit, my favorite citrus. I don’t like sweet drinks and this was just right. The combo of tequila, grapefruit, and lime was nice. The guacamole and tortilla appetizer was a nice starter. I’m glad they use fresh corn tortillas rather than the usually fried tortilla chips. It was much better tasting and healthier. The Verde bowl was our main course. I got the pulled pork over quinoa and beans and my partner got the steak. We both agreed that the pulled pork was the best choice. It was an interesting combination of flavors that seemed to work well — even with the apples. The flavors of the appropriately cooked vegetables were a nice change from usual Mexican cuisine that tends to feature beans, rice, and more beans. My only mistake was filling up with the guacamole, leaving little room to make a dent in the main course.
I have to give the owner a two thumbs up for the healthier but flavorful approach. Often, healthier is mistaken for tasteless. Not so here. I only gave 4 stars since my partner’s steak tasted singed — a nice way to say burnt.

Loses one star for sticker shock, but I’ve never had a bad meal here. Do you think you’ve had eggs? You haven’t had eggs until you’ve had them here. Fresh, served with flavored grilled veggies– and maybe some candied bacon? Wow. Maybe I should give them that star. Good cocktails– probably the best real bar in Hillsdale.
My buddy, a world traveler from LA, came to visit– he’s a fussbudget– thought it was the best meal he had all year. So I’ll tack on his review because he would never Unilocal.
Update: I initially gave them 6 stars, but bumped them down to 5.

I discourage you from going here… its an old house, DARK Dingy Crowded, seated in the attic, bad service, no chips and salsa, and food is bland and minimal.

We just went back to Verde Cocina for the 5^th (?) time this past week. I could probably end this review right there as word-​of-​mouth recommendation, but I’ll go on and on about this restaurant.
What other folks have said about the corn tortillas is true — fresh, warm, flavorful, and while satiating, they don’t leave you feeling overstuffed and carbed-​out. Not only that, the tortillas and mash, if you go that way, don’t dominate the plate.
Every plate we had an amazing, FRESH, variety of carrots, green beans, squash, zucchini, onions, and more. Our favorite proteins (doesn’t really matter which dish you order) were the lamb and carne asada.
My husband won’t order anything but the Paleo Verde. Our daughter loves the cheese quesadilla with either cheddar or cotija goat cheese, within which you can include a protein. They didn’t scrimp on the veggies just because she’s a kid — thank you — and she eats most of the fruit bowls. And, there’s a bowl of garbanzo and white beans that she also slurps up.
Being the main foodie in the family, I tried a bit of everything, and my favorite is the Lamb Hash with sunny side up eggs. I would say the Chile Relleno and Paleo Verde (and it’s carby Carne Asada with mashed garbanzo beans cousin) tie.
While the protein is perfectly cooked (never had any over or under-​cooked meat, always moist). I’m most impressed with how they prepare their vegetables. You can tell they’re fresh, but they also taste like they’ve been individually cooked — no mush, nothing too raw, the green beans are crisp but not stringy, the carrots are «al dente» if that can be applied to a vegetable, the squash isn’t mushy, and there’s a great variety of greens from kale to cabbage/​raddichio (?), I can’t even describe them all because there’s such a variety. Usually, I would say it’s just too much and keep it simple, but they make it work with every dish.
The salsa is also delicious, but I don’t even mind the food without the salsa because there’s so much flavor in the main dishes themselves. They even had a coconut (?) tomatillo sauce this morning that was delicious.
The service has been EXEMPLARY every time. The guys and one gal we had were so professional, welcoming and patient — not always easy with my family and all our personalities.
We only had «trouble» finding parking once (mind, we do tend to go out earlier than most folks at meal times). The one time we couldn’t find parking on the curb or across the street, we found parking in the back without any wait.
Can’t wait to go back and bring the rest of our family here over the holidays!

Ample parking space across the street from the front of the restaurant. My friend (who made the recommendation) and I went upstairs where there was open seating. Quaint and charming lighting and décor. The bathroom was clean.
I ordered the huevos rancheros. It didn’t look like any other huevos rancheros I’ve ever ordered. Nevertheless, the veggies and eggs were delicious. The eggs were perfectly cooked; not too runny. My friend said he could taste the chlorophyll in the veggies and that’s how he knew it was fresh. All I know is, it was some yummy chard among other greens! Also, best pepper I’ve had in my life (in America). It tasted like it came from a local pepper plant, but I know there’s actually not one near by. So potent and memorable. I want to go back just to order a container of pepper to go.
Service was prompt and friendly. Water pitcher was always filled.
Minus one star because I didn’t like the corn tortillas and I had to add salt to my food. To be fair, I am picky when it comes to tortillas. I might give this place another try.

This is an intimate lovely restaurant in Hillsdale. The food is awesome, a delicious experience. Every time I’ve been there I’ve ordered one of the specials on the chalk board which is expansive. I had the lamb enchiladas the last time. It was incredibly yummy and such a large serving that I had to take one home with me. I love how they make the tortillas right on the sidewalk. You can’t go wrong with this place!

I’ve tried this place twice, and each time my experience is the same.
As a vegetarian and great admirer of Mexican food, I was thrilled to initially try this place. After a moderate wait and great excitement after reading other reviews, I was very underwhelmed by the meal. I was greatly disappointed that the food lacked flavor and it seemed as though salt was not a part of the chef’s repertoire of seasonings. (I did see a review that lauded the guacamole with a «hint of salt,» so maybe it’s acceptable nowadays to be surprised if the food is appropriately seasoned…)
I recently tried Sanchez Cantina and if I were to choose between the two, Sanchez Cantina is the clear winner. With a diversity of fresh vegetables that was immense, the food far surpassed Verde Cocina in the flavor department.

Ok, it’s grown on me. I just needed to find my niche. Look, this place is not your stereotypical Mexican joint — you will not find a sombrero or smothered burrito, but it’s healthy and full of fresh ingredients.
I now know to order the rice bowls or quesadillas, and always, always, always a spicy margarita.

My favorite dish is their Carne Asada salad it’s too die for. This will be the stop to make everytime I visit Portland from Wildomar CA.

Fabulously fresh ingredients! Veggies around my Lamb Enchilada were perfect compliment to lamb prepared perfectly, wrapped in fresh made corn tortillas. Not your typical Americanized cheese smothered glop served at most Mexican restaurants. Donna’s Seafood Medley with brown rice was yummy too. We started off with a Ceviche Appetizer and a Tequila Flight of three top tequilas all of which was equally great. We finished with a Chocolate Triple Leche Cake.

I visited Verde Cocina on a weekday afternoon for a lunch date with my wife. Service was pretty slow and took quite a bit longer than I expected. Friendly, but slow.
The food however, was fantastic. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and delicious. Beware the house hot sauce — it is really, really hot.
I enjoyed everything I had. You can really taste the freshness of the veggies, and this restaurant’s unique blend of PNW farm-​to-​table with Mexican flavors is a winner.
I can’t go back for lunch because it takes longer than I normally take for a lunch break, but the food was good so I’ll be back if I’m looking for Mexican around Multnomah Village.

Been amped on this place since trying their bacon at the PSU Farmer’s Market. The food we had there, paled in comparison to the meal we just experienced. The outdoor seating was phenomenal and the guac was pretty tasty, as well. However, that’s about where the good ends in our case.
We had seen great happy hour prices on their website and we’re excited to try some of the options. We noticed the Happy Hour prices were different than their website and when questioned about it, our waiter simply stated, «That’s for our other locations. We don’t honor that here.» Frustrating. We ordered $ 7 margaritas (you can only get the plain one for happy hour) and they came out in the tiniest of glasses. Then, our food came out and it was incredibly underwhelming. It’s supposed to be farm to fork food so I expected tons of flavor! Unfortunately, our meal was lacking severely in that department. We coated it in salt and that didn’t even help much.
Steep prices, flavorless food, unable to honor what you website clearly states… won’t be returning.

El servicio pésimo lastima por que la comida esta buena! Bueno es lenta la comida pero el servicio es de lo mas desagradable!